CSC

@matjbarkley #matjbarkley #AssociateMemberCSC

I made the move from Halifax to Toronto in May of 2017 which puts me very close to a full decade in the city.

Nova Scotia provided me a few connections to Toronto but for the most part I spent my first year (or more) doing as much cold calling (emailing) as I could manage. It can be an uncomfortable part of our industry but I’m not sure there’s a better way to inject yourself into a new “market” than getting out and meeting people in person, even if it’s just for a 15m visit at their office.

At some point somebody very smart told me that no one would (or even could) help me with my goals unless they knew what those goals were. There’s a time and a place of course but communicating to folks what it is you want to be doing more of in the future seems to be one of the best ways to move ahead (and help narrow down your own dreams).

I’m not sure if it’s the film industries communal spirit but I’ve always found Toronto as a city much warmer and open than I was lead to believe before moving here. Even something that felt as intimidating as approaching agencies like @seslercompany and @mantlreps.tv wound up being very encouraging conversations that would go on to become invaluable professional (and thankfully also very familial) relationships.

There’s been so many incredible people and projects in the last 10 years that have made living and working in Toronto more than worth it. The east coast will always be home but I do feel like I have 2 of those now.

I really encourage anyone interested in the job to join / get in touch with the CSC as much as you can (in Toronto or anywhere else in Canada!). Having the mentorship programs, social events and technical support (the FB group is incredible for problem solving) etc has been indispensable to me and goes a long way towards making a somewhat competitive position feel a lot less lonely.